Turn back time
by Ertjies
Summary: Esther succeeded. The Originals were dead. Elena goes back to fix it.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Esther had succeeded. Damon and Stefan were too late. Even when the connection was broken when Damon killed Bonnie's mother, the spell had already been completed.

As Esther staked Finn, all the Originals fell. And with them, so did every vampire ever created.

Obviously the supernatural didn't stay secret after that. Millions of bodies were found across the globe, some hundreds of years old. The wolves and witches used this opportunity to their advantage. They started terrorising the world. A few other species of supernatural beings also came out, this was a new world. A supernatural world.

Even though there are more humans than supernaturals, the strong ruled the weak. And it wasn't pretty.

And nature… nature was off balance.

When Esther had created the Originals, nature had to adapt to 6 vampires. When she killed them, nature had to adapt to the disappearance of millions.

Tsunamis, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes and all manner of disasters plagued the planet. Two months after the death of all vampires, it had not stopped yet.

And for Elena and Bonnie, in between wolves taking over Mystic Falls and terrorising its citizens, the personal price was heavy. Very heavy.

Caroline, Stefan and Damon had fallen where they stood and the blood that Damon had given Abby to turn her was null and void. She did not wake up.

For Elena, the personal price also included Elijah. She didn't know what they had, or what was between them, but now she would never know.

So a plan was hatched in the dead of night, to avoid anyone over hearing and interfering. Bonnie would do a spell to send Elena back in time. Her consciousness would be flung back to the Ball. The night that Esther had taken her blood and tied the Originals together. She had to change the course of history. Not just for them as a group, but for the whole world.

So on a Tuesday night, just a little over two months after the Originals had fallen, Elena sat in a circle in Bonnie's living room, listening to Bonnie chant. The last words she heard before losing consciousness was Bonnie's whispered "Save us".

When she opened her eyes, she was standing in her room with a ball gown in her hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She was anxious; the fate of the world was riding on her shoulders. She could not let Damon and Stefan know that anything was missing. She tried to stay as close to their original interaction as possible. She almost gave herself away when her eyes locked with Elijah's across the room.

She wanted to run into his arms. She had realised too late that the only place she really felt save in months was when he was close. When he looked at her she felt like someone was actually seeing her. He listened to her. He actually valued her opinion. He treated her like a woman that could make her own decisions. She didn't have a lot of that with her friends. They always made decisions **for **her. For her own good. Even when she had never asked for her friends to jump in and defend her, die for her, it didn't matter. She had tried to keep them out, keep them save, but time and again her decisions were ignored. She was treated like an unruly child. A stupid little girl. And people died.

She didn't want to die. She never did. But if it was her life against the lives of her friends she would always put theirs first. Had she just died the night on the bridge, none of this would have happened. Klaus would have never come to Mystic Falls. Jenna and John would be alive, Bonnie's grandmother would be alive. Caroline would be human. Tyler's dad would be alive and Tyler would not be a werewolf.

Had she died the night of Klaus's ritual, all vampires would still be alive. Esther would not have been able to use her blood to kill the Originals. The world would be a very different place.

She was tired. Tired of being the doppelgänger. Tired of being used for rituals and killing sprees. Tired of looking like someone else. Tired of being ignored by her friends and treated like she had no control of her life. So when her eyes connected with his, she wanted to run to him. She wanted him to hold her close and protect her, like he always had. She wanted someone to see and hear her. But she couldn't. She had a chance to fix this and hiding in his arms would not help.

So when Finn came to get her, she took a deep breath and followed him upstairs. When Elijah stopped her on the way, she played her part and wished.

As Elijah locked eyes with her across the room, he knew something was wrong. He had looked into her eyes a hundred times. Her looks might be the same as Tatia and Katerina, but her eyes gave her away. Her eyes showed her soul. They showed her compassion, her spirit, her bravery. How anyone could mistake one of the other doppelgängers for her was beyond his comprehension. He would always know it was her.

The pain he saw in her eyes took his breath away. What or who could have hurt her this much? Why did she look like she was falling apart? What was worrying her? He would find out, but for the moment his mother wanting an audience with Elena, was his top priority. He would go to her house after the Ball. He would be there for her.

He didn't know when or how it had happened. When did he look into her eyes and fall? He had never felt this way about Tatia or Katerina.

Tatia played him and Nik. In the beginning he sought her company, until he realised that to her they were entertainment. Two brothers vying for her attention. They were not the only ones either. She had a string of men in the village, but this he only realised later.

Katerina was more interested in Nik from the very beginning. Even though Elijah was older, Nik played the Lord of the manor, and that was enticing to Katerina. She wanted the status and title. Nik toyed with her, keeping her just close enough while treating her like she was beneath him. To keep her mind off of this, or maybe to get a reaction from Nik, she flirted with Elijah, but Nik was the one she wanted.

Elena looked at him without hiding anything away. She looked and saw **him**. She looked at him like he would be able to fix everything wrong with the world, like he had all the answers and she knew he would protect her.

And he wanted nothing more than to be able to do just that. To love her and hold her and protect her, but he wouldn't. He could never do that to her. She was human and he did not want to take that humanity away from her. And him being who he was would put her in constant danger of just that. He had made a lot of enemies. They as a family had made a lot of enemies. He wanted her as far away as possible. He wanted her save and happy.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When she walked down the stairs she felt his eyes on her. Looking at her feet as if trying to navigate the stairs she whispered under her breath "Elijah, we have to talk". Finn was locked in the room upstairs with Esther and she knew that the sage Esther burned blocked all sound from the ball room, but they did not have much time. She had to warn him.

She slipped into the first door she saw. When she turned around he was behind her, already closing the door. She bit her lip. How could she tell him that his own mother wanted him dead? That the one person who should love him unconditionally wanted to kill him?

When she shared her conversation upstairs, the fact that Esther was using her blood in the champagne to link all her children together so that they could all be killed by a willingly sacrificial Finn, his face did not change. But his eyes. The pain she saw there made her feel like her own heart was bleeding.

He turned and walked to the window, looking out into the night. It felt as if she could feel his pain. She didn't know what to do, how to comfort him, if he would even want comfort from her, but she couldn't do nothing. She couldn't just stand there witnessing from afar. So she walked up behind him and rested her head against his back and folded her arms around his body. She waited for him to move, to push her away, but to her surprise he grabbed her folded hands in his own. As if they were a lifeline, something to keep him afloat in the sea of his thoughts.

"Thank you Elena. You did not have to do this, I am in your debt." His voice was low, had she not been standing behind him, she would not have heard him.

"I am so sorry Elijah. I cannot even imagine how you must feel. But I couldn't let you die. I would rather keep Klaus and be his personal blood bag than to see you killed." His hand tightened, it was almost painful.

He turned around and cupped her face in his hands, looking into her eyes, looking into her soul. When his lips pressed against her forehead she closed her eyes and felt a tear escape. She regrets the need to hurt him so.

There was a fluttering and when she opened her eyes she was alone.

He joined her in the ball room and just like she remembered from before, she lied, while looking in his eyes, she lied to his face. Thank God that this time she knew she had stopped it beforehand instead of trying to fix her mistake after they had already been bound.

As she looked up, her gaze met Esther's. The Original witch had a little smirk on her face. When they toasted Elijah pretended to drink and as she looked at Kol, she could not be sure if he had actually taken a sip or only pretended. She knew that Elijah would have warned his siblings.

The relieve she felt was palatable, the relief of knowing that Esther could not do what she had done and the relief in knowing that Elijah would live.

She didn't know what to tell Damon and Stefan or Bonnie and Caroline. She didn't think that they would accept her decision. When had they ever? How would she convince them that this was the right thing to do without revealing she came from less than 3 months in the future? A very bleak and dismal future. She didn't know if they would believe her about the sire lines. Only time would tell. But she did know that they would not be happy. She sighed internally.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As she walked from her bathroom to her vanity, trying to remove the pins in her hair, she felt him. When she lifted her eyes she met his in mirror. He took the pin from her hand and in silence started removing the rest. When it fell to her back he dragged his hands through her hair.

She watched him. She couldn't stop looking at his face. She thought she would never see him again. In the months after Esther, she became very honest with herself. She actually took a honest look at her feelings. She loved him.

Matt had been her first boyfriend, but they had grown up together. It was sort of expected for them to date and it made sense, but she loved him as a friend.

Stefan came along when she needed someone to treat her like she was special and at the time it felt like she was the most important person in the world to him and she liked that, but it was a lie. Stefan wanted Katherine, she was just a stand in. She would always have feelings for Stefan as her first real love, but she didn't love him anymore.

Damon had confused her. His apparent devotion had flattered her. She had liked it in a sense. That devotion for her was also a lie though, he was devoted to Katherine, and she was not Katherine and never would be. Even if she could develop more than fond feelings for him, how could she date one of her best friend's rapists? How could she love a man that killed her brother with his bare hands because she didn't return his feelings?

And then came Elijah.

When she started being honest with herself she realised that the guys she had known were mere boys. Elijah was a man. There was no comparison. He stood head and shoulders above the rest.

She loved the fact that he knew she wasn't Katherine from the first moment that he saw her. She loved that he never lied to her. She loved that he listened when she spoke and took her opinion and decisions seriously. She loved that even though he wore a mask, crafted through a 1000 years, he still sometimes let her glimpse behind it. He trusted her enough to let her have a peak. Something she knew he almost never did, sometimes not even with his siblings.

She had promised herself that given the chance, she had to tell him. He didn't have to return her feelings, but she had to let him know that she could live without anyone else, but the thought of him not walking the earth anymore almost broke her.

She had been staring, but he was staring right back. Their eyes locked in the mirror. She turned around and threw herself in his arms. Not caring that she only had on a slip, she pressed a face to his neck and her body against him. It only took a second for him to crush her to him and rest his head against her shoulder. She didn't know how long they stood like that, it could have been hours. Just feeling him against her, feeling his arms around her and taking in his woodsy scent made her head spin and her heart ache.

She put a bit of space between them and brought her hand to his face. Stroking under his eyes, down his jaw and dragging her thumb across his lips. She was fascinated. Before she could second guess herself she started placing small kisses everywhere her hand had touched, until she reached his lips. Cupping his jaw, she kissed him. Kissed him like she couldn't breathe without him. He was only frozen for seconds before he kissed her back, and when he demanded entry to her mouth she opened to him with no hesitation. She poured all the love she felt for him into the kiss. If this was her only moment with him she wanted it to be a memory he would never forget. When breathing became a must she rested her forehead against his and just breathed him in.

"Lijah, stay. Please stay?"

The look in his eyes warmed her to the core. She felt like he was looking at all of her, like there wasn't anything he didn't see. She steered him backwards to the bed, while removing his jacket and tie. And he let her, he even helped. Hope blossomed in her heart. He sat down when the back of his knees touched the bed. She helped him get rid of his shoes and couldn't stop her hands from caressing up his thighs to his belt. He didn't stop her, his hands were in her hair. He helped her drag his pants off. He pulled her between his legs and pulled her close to start kissing her again. She straddled his lap, pressing herself as close as she could, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pressing her hands in his hair. They didn't stop kissing. She felt so alive.

"Love me" she whispered "make me yours, let me make you mine".

"Elena…God...nothing would make me happier, I have wanted to make you mine for a long time. You are mistaken though, sweetheart, you don't need to make me yours. I have always been yours." His words lit a fire in her soul.

He took her apart and put her back together, he worshiped her body for hours. She lost count of how many times she fell over the edge before he entered her. When he joined his body with hers she fell whole for the first time ever. Every other sexual encounter she had before, disappeared into nothingness. Nothing had ever been this perfect. When they fell over the edge together, it was blinding.

Come hell or high water, as long as he wanted her, she would never let him go.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

She woke up warm and save, they were curled together. Somehow, she knew he was awake. She lifted her head and rested her chin on her hand on his chest.

"Morning sweetheart" he had a slight smile on his face "did you sleep well?"

"I could get use to waking up next to you. Be very careful or I might demand that happens every morning for the rest of forever" she said smiling.

His eyes were sparkling and his grin got bigger. "Now who would I be to complain? That actually sounds like the best thing I've heard in forever. And you know I have lived a very long…long time."

"Lijah" she breathed before she captured his lips in kiss. "If I could spend forever in your arms, I would be the happiest girl in the world."

When she needed to breathe again she pressed her forehead against his and sighed, "We probably need to talk."

"I think we do, sweetheart." He tucked her against his side.

"Okay…I'll start" she started giggling when the silence stretched out too long. "An old man like yourself should not be scared to talk about feelings."

"I'll show you an old man!" he flipped her on her back and hovered above her. Pressing his body to hers he asked "Is that something an 'old man' would be able to do?" he moved his body against hers, "Does that feel like I am an old man, sweetheart?"

"Okay, I got it, no mocking your age! I'm sorry…so sorry! You're right, no old man could feel so good" she giggled, while her hands got a mind of their own and started wandering.

"That's right! You better remember that." he smiled while kissing her on the tip of her nose.

"Sweetheart, if you want to talk, I would suggest not 'feeling me up'. It's destracting and I'm getting a lot of wonderful ideas for something to do."

In answer she just smiled and with her hand behind his neck pulled him into a kiss, "I'm getting a few ideas too."

By the time they actually decided to leave her bed it was after 11. It was the best morning she had spent in bed yet. By the time they left her room though it was almost 1. They had decided to share a shower, which they decided they liked and would be repeating often.

While making them coffee, she started talking "I can't let you die Elijah. I could live without anyone else in the world if I have to, I have seen that from experience, but I refuse to live in a world without you." She was too scared to look at him. It was stupid, they had spent the last 12 hours at least in each other's arms, but she couldn't help herself.

"Elena, look at me." He pulled at her arm softly. When she turned around he cupped her face with his hands. "I love you Elena Gilbert. I love you so much it scares me. I want to spend every minute of the next 1000 years showing you what you mean to me, if you will let me. Even if I just get the next 60 years with you, my love, it will be the happiest of my existence. And then I will find a way to join you. I agree that a world without you in it is not worth living in. I have walked the earth for so long and never felt even a speck of what I felt the last 12 hours in your arms."

"Lijah", she breathed, feeling a tear run down her cheek, "I love you too! God, I love you. I will never leave you. You will have to turn me, because I am not leaving your side."

His smile was blinding and then he was kissing her. She had never felt so happy.

Finally they got around to talking. She had debated on whether to be honest without him about coming from the future. She felt dirty just thinking about lying to him. So she told him. She told him about everyone dying, about the supernatural world taking over the human world. About nature trying to balance out the void Esther created. She told him about the spell she and Bonnie did to try and fix things. How she had to change the mistake she had made by not telling him before the bonding in the first timeline. When she started crying he folded her against his chest and held her tight.

Esther would not just disappear. She would find another way. Elijah phoned his siblings and asked them to meet at Elena's house and Elena phoned her friends. She felt apprehensive about everyone meeting, it's not like they got along. She was scared of how everyone would react. Together they decided to not reveal the future, they would only talk about the sire line. When Elena asked Elijah to not mention their new relationship just yet, she saw his mask start slipping in place.

"No Lijah, no. I want everyone to know that I love you and that you love me! I just think we need to do one major event at a time. I will be spending an eternity with you and I have no plans on hiding our relationship for long. Let's just get this breakdown out of the way and then the next time we can tell them. It might be better telling them when they are all together in any case." She peered in his eyes. The mask had slipped again. She pressed her lips to his. Then she gave him fluttering little kisses all over his face. "I love you, I am not ashamed of being with you. I don't want to be with anyone else. Ever!"

He held her close and sighed in relieve. He would do whatever she wanted. He might not like it, but he understood.

When the doorbell rang, she kissed him one last time and went to open the door. This was going to be stressful. She could already see screaming matches in the near future.

She opened the door to a frowning Klaus, "Wow, be careful or your face might be stuck like that…and I doubt Caroline would approve." She almost started laughing when he blushed. Rebekah actually smiled a bit and Kol grinned.

When everyone had arrived she started explaining everything that had happened. Esther's plan, what repercussions it could have had and the bit about how she had foiled it. As suspected Damon and Stefan were not so quick to believe that they too would die because of the sire line. Kol on the other hand only replied that it would make sense. When Bonnie glared at him he was quick to point out that he used to be a witch after all. The surprise on Bonnie's face was priceless. "Well you didn't think the Original witch had normal human children did you? We were all witches."

Damon stormed out halfway through. He had decided to berate Elena yet again for making her own choices. She had finally had enough and had told him in no uncertain terms that she had a mind of her own and a working brain. If he wanted a puppet to make choices for she was sure he would find something somewhere on the internet. And if he wanted her to make the choices that Katherine would probably have made, he was more than welcome to go and find Katherine. He did not take her standing up for herself very well. Stefan looked shocked. Caroline and the Originals were grinning and Bonnie had a frown on her face.

She couldn't care less. If he wanted to behave like a spoilt boy, something one would think he had grown out of after 150 years, then she would treat him like a boy. He could go and sulk elsewhere.

After hours a decision was reached. Esther could not stay a witch. Even if they killed her she would never stop trying to interfere from the other side. They would make her a vampire. She would be cut off from her powers then. They could then compell her. Now the plan just had to be put into action.


	6. Chapter 6

In the end, killing their mother was almost easy. Finn was vervained and locked up in the basement. Esther had not even suspected that they knew of her plan. Her arrogance was her undoing.

Elijah had force fed his mother blood they had gotten from Caroline. They didn't want her to be sired directly to one of them. Age obviously played a part in a vampire's strength, but so did the blood that turned them. Elijah then broke her neck. When Esther awoke, as predicted, she refused to transition. She failed to realise that she actually had no choice.

It was Rebekah that 'helped' her transition. To be on the save side Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah and Kol all compelled the new vampire using the same compulsion. If one of them were killed then the compulsion would hold. Elijah had learned from the entombed Katerina incident.

Esther was to forget that she was ever a witch. She was to forget that she had ever had children. She was to remain as their 'housekeeper' at Elijah's property in England. They had wanted to keep her close, but she had already been introduced to the town as their mother, so that would not work. She was to trust them, always, and never plot against them in any way. If someone brought up the fact that she was their mother she was to forget the question was ever asked. She was also compelled to tell one of them if anyone ever tried to 'rescue' her. She was on a plane that night, as they had made the decision to not give her a daylight ring. Maybe they would reconsider in a century or 2.

Finn was a tougher nut to crack. Luckily Klaus had a plan. Trying to track down Sage took longer than expected and Finn had to be kept locked up at all times. They did not enjoy starving their brother, but they also didn't want him messing up their plans.

The reunion between Finn and Sage would bring a tear to many an eye. Esther had told Finn that Sage was dead. This lie also cemented Esther's fate with Finn. When they finally told him what they had done, he agreed that under the circumstances the choice taken was for the best.

Finn and Sage did not stay. He was still bitter about being daggered for 900 years and none of his siblings could blame him. They found him a bore and a killjoy, but leaving him daggered that long was something they all did regret. The reunited lovers left as soon as possible for Europe. They did promise to stay in contact, just in case of trouble, but were planning to live their own life as far away from the rest of the Originals as possible.

The night his mother left the country he found comfort, he did not even know he needed, in Elena's arms. She was more than happy to provide him with a place to relax and grieve. He did not see her at all for the next 2 weeks, but they did stay in touch.

Over those 2 weeks, waiting for Sage, he stayed at the manor. He did not want to leave his younger siblings alone with their eldest sibling too long. The 2 weeks were actually good for the Mikaelson family. They spent a lot of time together. They fought and cried. They sparred and watched movies. They all sat for a family portrait painted by Klaus, Finn was added in just before leaving. They drank a lot and cooked dinner together. They healed old wounds and started new arguments. They laughed and joked and teased. At the end they were closer than they had been in centuries. They were also happier than in centuries. Time would tell how long the peace would last.

Elena was tired. The last 2 weeks had been exhausting. The Salvatore's were upset. She assumed that they were upset she had made her own decisions and saved the Originals without consulting them first. They also didn't believe the fact that they would have died too until Bonnie confirmed it. Apparently nothing she said could be trusted at all, according to them. She had also decided to take the time that Elijah was occupied to speak to them both about the fact that there would never be anything between her and them again.

She did not want to get between them, she was not Katherine. She was also not happy at all with the fact that that they ruled her life as they saw fit. But most of all there was Elijah.

They did not take it well, at all. The Salvatore's thought she was compelled. They knocked her out and when she woke up Bonnie did a spell. A spell to remove any and all compulsion. It was painful. She thought she was going to die. Even when she was screaming in pain, neither the brothers nor Bonnie let up. They were doing this for her own good after all.

She did remember compulsions, Damon's compulsions. The only time that Elijah had ever compelled her was the first day they had met.

When the spell finished it took her half an hour to just catch her breath and try not to throw up from pain. She had never been as angry.

"I want you to leave…and don't come back", her voice was low and cracked from screaming, but her eyes were firmly fixed on the Salvatore's.

"Oh, come on Elena, you know this was what was best! You have been compelled, if you weren't it never would have hurt at all!" Damon said while rolling his eyes.

Stefan was quiet, but throwing her the puppy dog eyes. It wouldn't work. Not ever again. They had shown her exactly what they thought of her and how they would always treat her.

"I am sure I didn't stutter Damon. I want you to leave and not to come back." she locked eyes with him "I don't want either you or Stefan in my life. The only compulsion I remembered is yours. This will be the last time that you make decisions about MY life FOR me. We are done."

They tried to argue, they tried to make her 'see sense', but she ignored them. Her head was killing her. She got some aspirin from the kitchen swallowing the pills with some vervain laced water. She did not trust the Salvatore's. She could still hear them in the living room. She decided to ignore them. Bonnie was still seated on the couch. She had a very uncomfortable, regretful look on her face. Elena did not care. This was the last time. She was too tired for this shit.

"Bonnie, I want you to leave too." Elena sighed

She almost laughed at the look on Bonnie's face. Almost.

"Elena…I" she did not let Bonnie finish.

"I need some time. I can understand that you thought you were helping me. That Damon and Stefan convinced you I was compelled. Even when I said I wasn't. I know that a person doesn't always know when they are compelled. Had you just sat down with me as my friend and spoken to me, you would have realised I wasn't compelled. Had you spoken to me I might have revealed to you why I know I was not compelled. Instead you willingly let them knock me out."

"Elena, we were just doing it for your own good! You were obviously compelled! As your friend I had to help you!" Bonnie said with a stubborn look on her face. Elena knew the look well.

She tilted her head, peering at her friend. It was amazing that she could be so hypocritical. She looked at Bonnie and then at the brothers. Shaking her head she fixed her gaze on Bonnie.

"Yes, compelled by Damon, not Elijah. What do you mean for my own good? You guys keep on doing this. What gives you the right to make decisions on how I live my life? Would a real friend disregard my choices or opinions?"

"You are a martyr Elena. We had to keep you from running to Klaus willingly! We don't make choices for you, we just want to protect you." Bonnie said stubbornly.

"You know what, I have a couple of questions." Elena said as she sat down.

"Had it been you, that was born the doppelgänger, what would you have done when Elijah came for you?" she asked with curiosity.

"I would not have made a deal with him! I would have fought! We could have fought Klaus harder!" Bonnie was not backing down.

"I see." Elena said thoughtfully "So I am curious, how would we have fought Klaus harder? He beat us all and can't be killed. And one of the only reasons you were able to beat him during the ritual was because of the dead witches. Which you wouldn't have known about if not for Elijah. Would you have had me run away, so he could chase me down? Would you have had me become a vampire like Katherine so I could also run away from him for 500 years? Maybe I should have been more confrontational? So he could have killed even more people that we knew?"

If she wasn't so pissed off, she would have laughed at the looks on their faces.

"Or maybe, if you had respected my decisions…Elijah would not have been daggered, so Katherine would not have left the tomb. I would have been able to drink the elixir that Elijah had and John would not have had to die for me? Maybe I or Elijah could have even tried to convince Klaus to use Katherine as the vampire sacrifice instead of Jenna. So as I see it, maybe if you had respected my choices I would currently have more family left than just Jeremy." Elena arched a brow "What do you guys think? Let's also not forget that we could have had a lot more time to plan if you guys weren't undermining my deal with Elijah at every turn and trying to get him out of the way. It's seems to me like you guys decide what you think is best and to hell with the consequences or who you hurt in the process. What I would like to know is who made you God? Why is what you decide or believe the only correct thing? And most of all, what gives you the right?" her head was pounding.

They couldn't look her in the eyes. Bonnie had tears in her eyes. Damon still looked stubborn. No one said anything. She gave up. "Please just go. I have a pounding headache and would like to take a nap, and I don't feel comfortable with you in my home."

Damon stormed of in a huff. Stefan could still not look her in the eye. Bonnie looked like she wanted to protest, but Stefan led her out.

The rest of the 2 weeks flew by. She had a lot of school work to make up. Caroline did try and get her and Bonnie together. Elena refused. The second time they had the same conversation, she snapped.

"Come on Lena, you can't stay mad at her. She just did what she thought was right." Caroline was almost begging.

"I don't want to speak to Bonnie, Caroline. I am still upset." Elena shook her head.

"Lena, she was just looking out for her friend. You have to see her. She is one of your best friends. You don't want to lose her." Caroline would not let up.

"Caroline, I said no. I don't want to see her. I don't agree with her right and wrong. I don't like the fact that all my friends, including her, make decisions for my life. If I don't want to see her, I don't want to. And trying to emotionally blackmail me isn't going to work." Elena was now pissed off. Apparently the word NO was not a word any of her friends knew. Caroline look chastised. She left not long after.

Elena decided to look into graduating early. She needed a break. Some time away from Mystic Falls would do her good. She would have to speak to Elijah, maybe he had property in Greece, Greece sounded awesome.


	7. Chapter 7

She needed coffee. She had finally finished all the school work she needed to. She was actually a bit ahead. She might go to bed a bit earlier tonight. Maybe she shouldn't have coffee, it was late already.

"Elena" her name made her spin around. He was leaning against the kitchen entry with a smile.

"Elijah" it took her only a second before she was running toward him. When he folded her into his arms it was the best she had felt in weeks. "I've missed you." She tried burrowing deeper, closer to him. He smelt amazing as usual. She felt so safe, she never wanted to leave.

"I missed you too, sweetheart." He said while stroking the hand that wasn't crushing her to him through her hair. She could hear the smile in his voice.

She couldn't wait anymore. She pulled back as little as possible and met his eyes. It felt like minutes or hours or days. Did she move? Did he move? Their lips met and it was like coming home. It felt right.

Somehow they ended up on the couch. She was straddling him, her hands in his hair. His hands were roaming her body. He kissed her like she was the air he needed to breathe. He kissed her like he would die if he couldn't.

When she needed air, he moved his ministrations to her neck. "Lijah…Oh God...Lijah…bed" she moved her head so he had better access "Lijah, we need a bed..."

One moment they were on the couch and the next her back was pressed against her mattress. She would probably never get use to that. He was busy removing his suit "Good idea" she breathed and started removing her own clothing. She was finished before him. She opened her arms for him. Her heart ached from the little smile he gave her. She couldn't help but to give him an answering grin.

She managed to utter "I love you" before his lips were on hers again. He returned the sentiment in words as well as actions multiple times during the night.

When she woke up, the sun was just peeking through the curtains. His breathing was even, he was still sleeping. She moved her head from his shoulder to look at his face. She couldn't help but stare at his face, he was beautiful.

"It's rude to stare" he tightened his arm around her. She couldn't help but grin. When he opened his eyes she couldn't help but marvel at the depths she saw in them. He hadn't worn his mask with her in a while.

"Morning sweetheart" he pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Morning Lijah" she rested her chin on his chest. She wanted to wait a few years if possible, so she wouldn't look like an eternal teenager, but she wanted him to turn her. She wanted to spend the rest of eternity with him.

"I want to wait a year or two if we can, but I want you to turn me Lijah" she watched his face closely. At first he looked blank, only his eyes showed emotion. Then a brilliant smile graced his lips. The next moment she was on her back and he was hovering over her.

"You really mean it?" the hope in his eyes warmed her soul.

"I did tell you, I don't want to ever leave your side." She frowned

"I was afraid you only said it in the moment. I wouldn't have brought it up again unless you did. I don't want you to feel pressured." She could see the fear in his eyes.

"Lijah, listen to me very carefully." She cupped his face in her hands. She did not break eye contact. "I love you. I want to spend forever with you. I have no qualms about becoming a vampire as long as I have you by my side." She pressed a light kiss against his lips. "You are never getting rid of me."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "You have no idea how happy I am right now. I cannot imagine anything better than loving you for eternity." He lifted his head. "Nothing would make me happier than waking up next to you each morning. I would be the luckiest dead man to ever walk the earth."

Well…that deserved a kiss right? A long, slow kiss. One that made her heart feel like bursting. It wasn't long though before it turned passionate. She had no problem with that either. This kiss made her toes curl.

When the car stopped in front of the manor, she took a deep breath. He took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. Two seconds later he was opening her door for her. She was a bit apprehensive. She had agreed to come to dinner with his family, but she didn't quite know what to expect. Klaus sees only her blood and Rebekah hated her. She hadn't spent a lot of time with Kol and the last time she saw Finn she was giving his mother her blood so he could kill himself. Taking a deep breath she squeezed his hand. No time like the present.

It actually went a lot better than she expected. Klaus was upset about her blood, but he owed her his and his siblings' lives. He wasn't friendly, but he was civil. Rebekah had always hated her because of her face, even before she daggered her, but she now too owed Elena her live. Kol was a flirt. When he saw how much his flirting with her irked Elijah he became even worse.

They actually spent an enjoyable evening together. It was weird. She thought she might be dreaming. Elijah's hand on her leg kept her grounded and proved it was not. Normally he wasn't really a pda person, but that rule of his seemed to fly out the window when with her. She was not complaining. Klaus did not appreciate the hand Elijah had on her at all times. Whether he was holding her hand or touching her leg. Rebekah couldn't quite hide her discomfort when Elijah brushed their lips together a few times during the night. And Kol saw it as a bit of a game. Trying to pull her away from Elijah, grabbing her hand and obviously flirting like there was no tomorrow.

Even with all this happening, Elena observed. She saw the way Klaus looked at Elijah each time he smiled, which was numerous, during the evening. She couldn't quite define the look in his eye, but it looked almost wistful. Rebekah had the same look in her eye, even through her discomfort. Kol had a blinding grin on his face each time he looked at his older brother. They were happy for Elijah.

When she exited the bathroom on the first floor, Rebekah was leaning against the opposite wall.

"Oh sorry Rebekah, I didn't know you were waiting for the bathroom."

"I wasn't. I wanted to talk to you." Rebekah said with a fierce look in her eyes.

"I have never been able to give the 'you hurt my brother, I hurt you speech', so this is a bit new. I don't particularly like you Elena, but you did save our lives. I have also not seen Elijah this happy since we were human. So if you hurt him in any way, I will end you." She had stalked closer and closer as she talked. Elena wasn't scared, not really, she would have done the same for Jeremy.

"I wouldn't hurt him Rebekah. I love him. I want to spend as long as he will have me, with him." Rebekah would know she was telling the truth. She knew her heart was steady.

"And what happens when you start aging and growing older?" Rebekah asked.

"I have already asked him to turn me in a year or two. I don't want to be an eternal teenager if I can help it. But I do want to spend eternity with your brother. He is everything I could have asked for, but don't deserve. I want to spend forever trying to deserve him." Elena replied earnestly.

"You have it wrong sweetheart. It is I that don't deserve you. I have a 1000 years of misdeeds against my name, and the fact that you can love me despite that means it is me that is unworthy." He had caught them by surprised. He pulled her against his body and kissed the top of her head.

"You guys are disgustingly cute. I hate it. Remember what I said Elena." Rebekah had a slight smile on her face. "With that being said, you are making my big brother happy, and for that I thank you." Elena could only smile and nod. Rebekah sped off.

They ended the night in the early morning hours. Nothing was better than going to sleep in Elijah's arms. Unless it was waking up in them.


	8. Chapter 8

Her 'friends' gave her a couple of weeks to 'calm down' and 'come to her senses'. How nice of them.

When the doorbell rang two days after her dinner with the Originals, she wasn't expecting the Salvatore's. She could only look at them with a raised brow. She did tell them she didn't want them coming back after their last stunt. She would always care for them, but she really didn't need them in her life to run it for her. She didn't need people in her life that criticized every single choice she made or her every thought or feeling.

"Can I help you?" she wasn't in the mood.

"Elena, we need to talk about this. We were only doing what we felt was best. We were trying to help you." Stefan looked at her earnestly.

"We will not apologise for trying to keep you save. If you weren't so brainwashed by Elijah, you would see that this is all wrong!" Damon just could not keep his mouth shut.

"Yes, you are right. You guys obviously know best. How could I ever question your opinions? I _must _be brainwashed and crazy." She kept standing in the doorway, blocking it. She wanted this over and done with as soon as possible.

"Exactly, I am so glad you came to your senses!" Elena looked at Damon disbelievingly. Stefan looked like he wanted to face palm.

Shaking her head and sighing she replied "I will only say this once more. I don't want you two in my life. I don't want to be in the middle and I don't want someone running my life for me. I will always love and appreciate you guys for everything that we have been through, but I think our friendship has run its course."

Damon looked at Stefan. "I think we should just compel her. Get this over and done with."

"We said that would be a last resort, but I think you're right. Talking isn't going to get us anywhere." Stefan wasn't even looking at her.

She shook her head in disbelief and disappointment. "Really? Seriously?"

"Elena, you will forget all this nonsense, right now. We are your friends. The Originals are evil and needs to be killed. Elijah is one of the worst. You don't love him." Damon had a smirk on his face.

"I am so sorry to disappoint you Damon, but I am on vervain." She was so mad she felt like her head might explode.

They looked surprised. "I didn't trust you guys to not do exactly what you just tried" she continued.

"Screw this! We will just put her in the basement until the vervain is out of her system." Damon stormed as if to grab her, but ran into the barrier. The brothers looked confused.

"I had you disinvited from my house. Elijah has a witch friend." Elena was just done.

"It's seems like you were right to be worried sweetheart." Elijah had a gift for showing up exactly when he was needed.

"I didn't want to be. I think we should go with Plan B. They don't even want to listen to me, never mind respecting my choices." Elena said sadly.

"You will forget about Elena Gilbert and anything and everything to do with her. You will leave Mystic Falls and go and live your life. If you ever see Elena again, you will not speak to her, or interfere with her life or anyone in her life." Elijah was staring into Damon's eyes. He grabbed Stefan by the arm to keep him from running of. "You will forget everything that you know about the Original family. You will not try to harm anyone in the Original family or anyone connected to them." He repeated the same to Stefan. He would phone Kol after the brothers left. Kol would reinforce the compulsion before they left town. Elijah had definitely learned from the Katherine cave debacle.

"Now, you have till tomorrow to pack your bags and go. Goodbye." Elijah closed the door. He pulled her into his arms. She sagged against him, with her face buried in his chest.

"Thank you Lijah. I didn't want to do that, but they never would have stopped. I would rather they be alive and not remember me than dead." She was exhausted.

She was not at all surprised when Bonnie and Caroline stormed into her house the next afternoon. Well, Bonnie stormed in. Caroline was stuck in the doorway. Off course they had left her alone for 2 weeks while still plotting behind her back about her life.

"I will be in the kitchen, sweetheart." Elijah placed a kiss against her temple. He was quite unconcerned with the interruption of the baby vamp and the witch.

Elena sighed and sat up from where she was leaning against his side while they were watching a show. This was a conversation that needed to happen and the sooner the better.

"Where are Stefan and Damon?" Bonnie looked at her accusingly. "What did your new 'friends' do to them?" Bonnie had apparently not noticed that Caroline was not at her side.

"I don't know where they are. Elijah compelled them to leave town. So hopefully they are somewhere living their own lives." Elena looked Bonnie straight in the eye.

"How could you Elena? They love you. We all love you. We are trying to be your friends. We are trying to protect you!" Bonnie was furious. Caroline looked a bit put out, but not angry.

"Yes, that's right. How can I live my own life? How dare I make decisions for myself?" Elena rolled her eyes. "I said I didn't want them in my life anymore. They disregarded my choice…again and tried to compel me."

Caroline looked surprised. Bonnie not so much.

"But you knew that was the plan didn't you Bonnie?" Elena looked at the witch searchingly. The look on Bonnie's face confirmed her theory. "I must say that I am quite surprised by you. I know we haven't been the best of friends since this whole vampire thing started, but I didn't think you would actively hurt me." She didn't drop eye contact. "You would hurt me by taking away the one person that has actually been there for me, no matter what I decide. Even when I betrayed him and daggered him. The person that I love and who loves me." The look on Bonnie's face hadn't changed. She was stubborn. She would not accept that she might have done anything wrong.

"And you Caroline?" Elena looked towards the front door. "Did you know?"

"No, I didn't know they would try to compel you. I know they were coming to talk to you, but they didn't say anything." Caroline shook her head.

"Well, it looks like you weren't invited to all the planning sessions to 'fix' me. I wonder why that is?" Elena looked at Bonnie again. "Do you not trust Caroline, Bonnie? Or was compelling me an on the fly decision? Did you even think through your actions at all? Or did you just decide that you know best and ran with it?" Elena was fed up.

Elena got up from the couch. "I love Elijah. I want to spend eternity with him; I will be turning in a year or two. We are going to leave Mystic Falls as soon as possible. I just need to sort out the school issues; I will probably continue my studies online. Will you please respect my choices and feelings Bonnie? Will you be my friend and be happy that I have found love?" She picked up one of two rocks lying on the mantle, turning it over in her hands.

"No, I could never accept your choice in this matter. How can you even think of turning into a blood sucker? That is the worst thing that could happen!" Elena looked at Caroline in the door. There was so much hurt on her face.

"So let me get this straight. You would rather Caroline be dead?" Elena looked at Bonnie in disbelief.

"No, I don't want her dead, but it would have probably been better." Bonnie didn't even look in Caroline's direction.

Elena shook her head. Was this part of being a 'servant of nature'? Deciding what was right and wrong for everyone? Bonnie didn't use to have this much hate in her heart.

"You don't have to be my friend. We can part ways here today and never see each other again. But I want you to leave me and the Originals alone. Could you do that?" Elena wasn't hopeful.

"They have to be killed Elena! They are unnatural. I will not stop looking for a way." Bonnie shook her head.

"Bonnie, I have told you that all vampires are connected to the Originals. If they die everyone they sired directly or indirectly also dies. So you would be condemning Caroline to death." Bonnie looked at Caroline for the first time. She looked almost apologetic.

"Nature has to be balanced." Elena had to give it to Bonnie. She gave a new meaning to the word stubborn.

"Really? Have you actually thought about this Bonnie?" Elena looked at the witch searchingly. "Nature had to adapt to 6 vampires and it did quite well. If you remove all vampires now nature would have to adapt to millions being gone. It would be ugly." She hadn't told anyone except Elijah about the future. She knew the witch would not believe her if she told her. She could not let Bonnie do anything to the Originals. As a lone witch, Bonnie wasn't too much of a threat, but she would run to the 100 witches and then there might be problems. She had not come back in time just to have the same thing happen again.

"This is not the way to go Bonnie. Killing all vampires would be wrong. It would create an imbalance in both nature and the supernatural world." Elena almost pleaded.

Bonnie looked thoughtful, but that didn't even last 30 seconds. The stubborn look returned to her face. "They have to die."

Elena sighed. "Catch" she threw the rock she had been holding to Bonnie. In surprised Bonnie caught the rock. The moment her hand touched the rock she fell to the floor. She was out like a light.

Caroline looked shocked. "Don't worry Care, she'll be fine." Elena gave the blonde a small smile.

Elijah was leaning against the doorway between the kitchen and living room. She could see the approval on his face. Even if he didn't really like or know Bonnie, he was glad Elena picked the white rock first. Maybe everything would be fine.


End file.
